J M Jarre's Oxygene - seminal classic or Oldfieldesque prog nightmare?

But then, it's still nowhere near as bad as "Oxygene 7 to 14" which is quite possibly the worst record I've ever heard, in much the same way as "Tubular bells 2" was almost as bad.

p.s. "Bits of Ox" = potentially grebt band name/record title! ;-)

just watched Jarre and 3 men perform this classic on a stage surrounded by battered old moogs/analogue synths and a ton of cabling and gaffer tape. all performed in one take, no laptops, no midi gumph, no fucking laser harp, no big city backdrop, just bare lighting on a simple stage, a lot of swooshing synth noises, making it a total geek-fest as the guys were literally recabling machines during certain sections to make their next well loved noise.

and despite my inititial concerns, it was brilliant.

ok, i'll come clean, it was not live properly, but as part of the 30th anniversary cd/dvd thats on its way.

this album was my first introduction to electronic music, and even though it has become a cliche as the rhythms became casio keyboard standards in the 80s and it indeed sounds primitive, i still think it sounds great.

Early Jarre remains great. He has done some ill-advised stuff using sampling and FM/PCM synths, but that early analog stuff still rules.

And, yes, "Equinoxe" is the one. It's better than "Oxygene" IMO.

I've never heard either "Oxygene" or "Equinoxe", I should check 'em out, I reckon

I remember a group of smoked out skinheads lying in complete darkness tripping balls to that one- hilarious. Frankly I can't take sides wrt to the thread title: it's both.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7314713.stm

Went to a bar in Romania and they were playing a JJM live DVD on a projector. It was one of the funniest thing I have ever seen. The man's a total prannock.

At one point he was playing FUCKING LASER BEAMS with a look of UTMOST SERIOUSNESS on his little gallic face. Oh yeah, and the gig was taking place at the gates of THE FORBIDDEN CITY.

just watched Jarre and 3 men perform this classic on a stage surrounded by battered old moogs/analogue synths and a ton of cabling and gaffer tape. all performed in one take, no laptops, no midi gumph, no fucking laser harp, no big city backdrop, just bare lighting on a simple stage, a lot of swooshing synth noises, making it a total geek-fest as the guys were literally recabling machines during certain sections to make their next well loved noise.

and despite my inititial concerns, it was brilliant.

ok, i'll come clean, it was not live properly, but as part of the 30th anniversary cd/dvd thats on its way.

this album was my first introduction to electronic music, and even though it has become a cliche as the rhythms became casio keyboard standards in the 80s and it indeed sounds primitive, i still think it sounds great.

I just bought this DVD, actually -- and it's brilliant. Seriously.

"Oxygene" is great, but I still find that "Equinoxe" is even better. Surely, it is based on largely the same ideas, but he has better melodies and better arrangements in there than on "Oxygene". Plus the Yamaha CS-80 is very evident on that album with its absolutely breathtaking string sounds that sounded fantastically great with phasing added.

Geir, you really sent me back to that record to hear it, except he didn't use the CS80 on Equinoxe.

OK. I guess the string sound on the CS60 sounded roughly the same way.

Hmmm. Seeing as the CS-80 wasn't released until 1977, I guess Stevie Wonder must have used a CS-60 on "Village Ghetto Land" and "Pastime Paradise" as well.

Anyways, the CS-80 was a wonderful synth. Of course it was way too heavy and way too expensive, but Arturia's brilliant softsynth version has rectified that. Maybe my favourite synth ever :)

Actually, Stevie Wonder used the GX-1, aka the Dream Machine on Songs in the Key of Life. That thing is, like, the ultimate analog polyphonic -- it's all over late-period Abba as well.

I own the Arturia as well -- it is pretty cool.

Though I wouldn't say it makes the CS-80 irrelevant.

That thing is, like, the ultimate analog polyphonic -- it's all over late-period Abba as well.

Hmmm.. Didn't know but can imagine. Same soft sound. With ABBA it is impossible to see exactly what kind of synths Benny Andersson used, as he would always build them into his "grand piano".

I was about to ask if Steve Winwood used it, as the synth sounds in his own work from that era also has the same soft quality. Then, looking at this link, it appears that he used a CS-80.

CLASSIC!

Granted, I don't play it anywhere near as much as Kraftwerk's classic releases, but whenever I do it always more than hits the spot. Strangely though, I haven't got into Equinoxe anywhere near as much, even though I know a fair few people who claim it's the best JMJ record.

I would have had trouble liking these albums as much as I did in junior high if the old promo videos had been my first encounter with them, but from my current vantage point I am really grateful they are all up. the one for 'zoolookologie' is humble and self-effacing by comparison to this one. I won't link to equinoxe 5 and magnetic fields 2, but fans of self-hatred and the video for zoolookologie, you know who you are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSIMVnPA994

'Oxygene IV' alone is all-time, an absolute evergreen track that keeps retaining its freshness for me when I should have got tired of it a long time ago!

I almost started a poll they are all so incredible to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO7--KBgpAQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w434qhNJMdw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F36bJ57TmM

^^ that one's actually good, directed by Jeunet & Caro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIeAt5invw0

^^ beyond human criticism or judgement

Wow, way to ramp up the guilt aspect of a guilty pleasure, JMJ.

(I had forgotten how great Zoolookologie is, though.)

But then, it's still nowhere near as bad as "Oxygene 7 to 14" which is quite possibly the worst record I've ever heard, in much the same way as "Tubular bells 2" was almost as bad.

picked up 'Oxygene 7-14' this week and expected the worst, but nope.
it's a very fine continuation of the original album.
yeah, the sonics are a little beefier at times, but that's to be expected.
on the whole it has a very similar sound and atmosphere to the original album.

that said, cannot get over the fact that the comment i quoted was from 19 years ago.
i still regard Oxygene II as one of JMJs new releases.

yea if you dig the original I don't see why you wouldn't like the sequel. hell even Oxy 3 mostly succeeds at capturing the mood of the first. it's not like anyone else is making this kind of music.

hell even Oxy 3 mostly succeeds at capturing the mood of the first. it's not like anyone else is making this kind of music.

until you said that, i had completely forgotten there was a third part to the series.

"Prog nightmare"? Oxygène is a pleasant record, but Mike Oldfield is a way better composer, player and producer than Jarre, and I'd say he has more of an ear for pop as well.